S2 Games has announced that all players will have access to the entire current hero pool for the multiplayer onilne battle arena title, Heroes of Newerth. The new model removes the previous system which featured a rotating pool of 16 heroes with the option for players to purchase individual heroes. Heroes of Newerth allows two teams of up to five players take on the roles of heroes as they work with AI controlled armies to destroy an enemy team's base.

“We are very excited to announce All Heroes Free, which gives every player access to our ever-growing hero pool,” said S2 Games co-founder and CEO Marc DeForest. “After months of internal discussions and monitoring community feedback, it’s clear that All Heroes Free is the perfect next step for HoN.”

Prior to this new game model, players could take advantage of a weekly rotating free pool of 16 heroes with the option to purchase individual heroes with in-game or real world currency. Heroes of Newerth’s new All Heroes Free model will launch on Friday, July 20th, giving players immediate access to all 107 released heroes. Early Access heroes will still be available for purchase under a four-week trial period, but with free access to the entire hero pool, players will be able to enjoy the game in its entirety without limitation. HoN is a game of options and variety, where no two games are alike, and offers an experience almost completely player driven. The All Heroes Free model makes HoN more welcoming for new players and friends of current players, as everyone gains access to any hero of their choosing.

“As gamers, we all know that games are more fun to play with friends, and All Heroes Free will make it easier for players to bring their friends to the game,” said Heroes of Newerth Director Pu Liu. “This new model will also level the eSports playing field, as all players will be able to build their skills and advance their strategies with any hero they choose.”

With the launch of All Heroes Free, any player who purchased a released hero with in-game or real world currency within fifteen days before July 20th will receive a refund. Plus, any player who has ever purchased a hero with real world currency will receive the new and exclusive Mecha Gemini avatar for free, including Legacy players. Mecha Gemini is the super robot avatar of the popular HoN hero Gemini, who will be prowling the lanes of Newerth waiting for the right moment to strike.

In addition to the avatar, all Legacy players will begin earning more rewards for each match played. Added DeForest: “Legacy players are the backbone of HoN, and there’s no way we would be where we are today without them. Their early commitment to the game is irreplaceable, and as HoN continues to evolve, we are always looking for new ways to show our appreciation.”

S2 Games is also working on rolling out a much-anticipated new game mode, with the working title “Gated Mode”, which will offer new players a more controlled environment in which to learn HoN. “With All Heroes Free and the upcoming Gated Mode, we’re really focusing on our new player experience and helping our current players bring their friends into the game,” added Liu. “Gated Mode will allow new players to get into the game faster and easier by pairing them with a smaller group of carefully selected heroes and thereby lessening the initial burden of knowledge.”

Blizzard Entertainment CEO Mike Morhaime recently posted an open letter to the Diablo III player community. In the letter the developer discussed the action RPG sequel's launch, always-online requirement, auction house issues, and plans the company has for the game's future.

Regarding the real-money auction house, our primary goal for including this in the game was to provide convenience and peace of mind for those players who might otherwise turn to third-party services to buy items. Black market trading sites can put accounts at risk and create many customer service challenges. We felt that the players themselves also deserved the opportunity to benefit from the extra loot they found, as opposed to having all of the benefit go to the black market/illegal trading organizations. We know the auction house isn’t perfect, but with your help and feedback, we’ll be able to continue making it a better experience for those who choose to use it. On the flipside, we are also committed to ensuring you have a great experience with Diablo III without feeling like the auction house is mandatory, which was never our intention. Thank you for all the feedback about that.

One other common topic we’ve seen in the forums is the always-connected experience, and the perception that the online requirement is nothing but an ineffective form of copy protection that has already been cracked. While we’ve never said that this requirement guarantees that there will be no cheating or game cracks, it does help us battle those problems (we have not found any fully functional cracks). More important to us is that the online requirement is critical for the long-term integrity of the game experience. I fully understand the desire to play Diablo III offline; however, Diablo III was designed from the beginning to be an online game that can be enjoyed with friends, and the always-online requirement is the best way for us to support that design. The effectiveness of the online elements -- including the friends list and cross-game communication; co-op matchmaking; persistent characters that you can use by yourself, with others, and in PvP; and some of our customer support, service, and security components -- is tied directly to the online nature of the game. These and other online-enabled features are essential to our design for Diablo III. That said, there are still improvements we believe we can make to expand the online experience and make co-op play even more rewarding, and this will remain one of our priorities moving forward. Overall, while there are some downsides to the online-only approach, I still believe this was the best long-term decision for the game.

Electronic Arts has released some new information about fairies and zombies in the upcoming The Sims 3: Supernatural expansion pack for the popular life sim title. The latest offering from The Sims Studio allows players to create and live out the lives of supernatural Sims like werewolves, witches, vampires and fairies. They can "curse or charm their Sims’ lives with powerful spells, volatile elixirs, and magical abilities in a world of strange happenings, spooky surprises and even the occasional zombie attack."

Fairies are fickle and magical supernaturals with an innate connection to the natural world. From the start of the game, fairies will naturally appear as human-like creatures with fluttering wings. Through special interactions they will be able to transform into their true form which resembles a glowing insect that is miniscule in size. Fairies can be created in Create A Sim and have a slew of new customization options available that range from choosing the shape and color of their wings to adjusting the pointiness of their ears. Fairies often bestow gifts to others and carry special auras that increase their skills as well as the skills of those around them.

In contrast to lithe and sprightly fairies, The Sims 3 Supernatural introduces moaning and roaming zombies to the game. These lumbering creatures have just two things on their mind: brains and grains! As they shuffle through the neighborhood, zombies attempt to nibble on Sims and pick at their well-manicured planter boxes. Not even other supernatural Sims are immune to zombification! A bite from one of these brain-hungry creatures can leave your Sims with temporary or long-lasting effects.

Although zombies cannot be created in Create A Sim, zombification can occur in a variety of different ways, so Sims should be on the lookout for a zombie attack at all times. We don’t want to reveal all those ways just yet, so here’s a quick preview of things to look out for:

A Sim can use the alchemy table to brew a zombification elixir and throw it at another Sim

Or, a Sim can be bitten by a meandering zombie

If your Sim is hit with zombification, don’t fret—there is a cure. Find all of the correct ingredients to brew an elixir and change them back.

Arm your Sim’s lot with some Plants vs. Zombies Peashooters to prevent zombies on the attack. This new Peashooter object comes included in the Limited Edition version, available to those who pre-order the game. In addition to the Plants vs. Zombies Peashooter, the Limited Edition of The Sims 3 Supernatural includes creepy-chic, iconic apparel from the world of Plants vs. Zombies.

A new Game Review Cast of Omaha Sternberg's iGame Radio podcast is now available for listening. The podcast features a review of Tiny and Big: Grandpa's Leftovers. The game puts players in the role of Tiny, a man with a ray gun and a rope device, who must locate his nemesis Big to retrieve a pair of stolen underpants. The game features a unique hand drawn look, believable physics, and a character driven storyline.

Game Review Cast:

A review of Tiny and Big: Grandpa’s Leftovers by Black Pants Studio. Tiny and Big is a fun 3D platformer with a strange atmosphere, original graphics, and an excellent soundtrack. And pants! Don’t forget the pants!